Set of blocks for generating desgns



Sept. 2, 1969 P. c. MARTIN 3,464,145

SET OF BLOCKS FOR GENERATING DESIGNS Filed Aug. 12, 1966 i l I IZ I3 x3mum} W I 4 22 J4 2/ 2 5 3 V30 40% 22 I; r

mm W mm mm L" mm [4 g 1 w W PM" 3 (q W WWW efafifwwm United StatesPatent 3,464,145 SET OF BLOCKS FOR GENERATING DESIGNS Patricia C.Martin, 1804 Augusta Drive, Champaign, Ill. 61820 Filed Aug. 12, 1966,Ser. No. 572,125 Int. Cl. A6311 33/00, 33/22 US. Cl. 46-17 2 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a device forgenerating a plurality of designs and particularly to a set of blocksfor generating designs.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a set ofblocks enabling the formation of a variety of designs.

Another object is to provide an intellectual and creative amusementdevice or game with which the operator or player creates designs byarranging various blocks.

Briefly, these objects are accomplished with a unique set of blocks,each block of the set havind designs on its various faces. One face ofeach block is used in creating an over-all design formed by all theblocks of the set.

Three different types of blocks, distinguishable from each other by thedesigns on their faces, make up the entire set. The block designs ofeach particular type have certain common characteristics which enabletheir combination to form an overall design which exhibits symmetricalproperties. The common characteristic of a first of the three types ofblocks, the corner block, is that the design variations along at leasttwo adjacent edges of the block faces are identical. The commoncharacteristic of the second type, the side block, is that the designvariations along at least two opposite edges of the block faces areidentical with each other and with the design variations along the abovementioned adjacent corner block edges. The third type is the centerblock. There is only one center block in the set and its designs mayvary greatly. It is desirable that the center block design have asymmetry at least as great as the remainder of the design.

A more detailed description of the present invention will be given withreference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric diagram showing one embodiment of a set of blocksconstructed according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 2 through 4 are diagrams of various designs used on the blocksconstructed according to the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a pluralityof blocks 10, here eighty-one, each constructed according to the presentinvention, are arranged to form one of a variety of possible designs.The various blocks may be made of any suitable material, for example,wood or molded plastic, and may be any desired size. In the embodimentshown in the drawings, the blocks are cubic, and therefore each has sixfaces. This, however, is not a necessary construction. An alternativeconstruction, for example, might be a thin, two-face, block or title. Itis preferable that the block faces used to form the over-all design besquare. A suitable device 11 may be employed to contain the variousblocks.

The faces of each of the blocks contain designs which enable thecombining of the blocks to form the over-all design. Three differenttypes of blocks, distinguishable from each other by the designs on theirfaces, make up the entire set. These three different types willhereinafter be referred to as (l) the corner blocks 12 which are locatedalong the diagonals of the over-all design, (2) the side blocks 13 whichappear between the corner blocks, and (3) the center block 14 whichappears at the center of the over-all design.

The basic characteristic of the designs on the faces of the cornerblocks 12 is that the design variations along at least two adjacentedges of each face on a block are identical to each other. Thischaracteristic is illustrated by FIG. 2 which shows the six faces ofeach of the corner blocks of FIG. 1. Each of these six faces includes adesign formed by a first white area 20 and a second black area 21, theblack being indicated by crosshatching. Here the design variation alongtwo adjacent edges 22 of each face is a transition from white to blackoccurring at the midpoint of each edge. Thus, for each of the facesshown in FIG. 2 the change from white to black occurs at the midpoint ofat least two adjacent edges on each face. It is not necessary that thedesign variation be a change from one color to another or that it occurat the midpoint of the edges. It is only necessary that the designvariation be the same along the adjacent edges. It would, for example,be possible to provide faces where the design change occurred, forexample, one-third the distance along adjacent edges of each face.

It is desirable that the design variations along the other two adjacentedges 23 of each corner block face also be identical with each other,although they need not and generally will not be identical with thevariations along the first two adjacent edges 22. In each of the facesshown in FIG. 2 there is no design variation along these other adjacentedges 23, i.e., these edges are all one color. If the black portion 21were extended to intersect the edges 23, however, then, preferably, thedesign variation resultingfrom the intersection would be the same alongboth edges 23.

FIG. 3 shows the six faces of each side block employed in the FIG. 1embodiment of the present invention. The basic difference between theside block design, which again is black and white, and the corner blockdesign is that here the design variation is identical along at least twoopposite edges 30 of each face. Also, the design variation along each ofthe opposite edges 30 is identical with the design variation along theabove-mentioned first adjacent edges 22 of the corner block. When acorner block face is positioned adjacent an edge block face the designsshould meet along the edges of the two blocks. Thus, if the designvariation is from white to black at the midpoints of the corner blockedges 22, then the transitions from white to black along the side blockedges 30 should also occur at the midpoints of the edges. Or, if theblocks are designed so that the transitions from white to black alongthe corner block edges 22 occur, for example, one-third the distancealong the edges, then the transition from white to black on the edges 30of the side blocks should also occur one-third the distance along thoseedges.

The design variations along the other two opposite edges 31 of the sideblock faces are preferably identical with each other and with thecorresponding adjacent edges 23 of the corner block faces. Thisconstruction permits continuity of design from corner block to sideblock along these two edges.

The six faces 40 of a typical center block used in the present inventionare shown in FIG. 4. The faces 40 of the center block may haveessentially any symmetric design thereon. The symmetry of the centerblock design, however, is preferably compatible with that of theremainder of the design. Also, the design variations along the centerblock edges 41 are preferably identical with each other and with thedesign variations along the side block edges 31 which contact the centerblock edges 41. It should be here noted that the center block need notnecessarily be included in the entire design, although it is included inthe design shown in FIG. 1. Four corner block faces may be combined in asquare to form the center of the design with the remainder being builtaround these four.

All of the block designs illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 4 are of thetwo-area-pattern type, i.e., the design on any one face is formed bycombining two distinct patterns over certain areas of the block faces.Thus, the illustrated block designs are formed by a first white areapattern and a second black area pattern. These patterns of course neednot be plain colors. Any two distinct patterns might be employed. Forexample, one area pattern might be a series of dots and the other aplain color.

While the two-area-pattern designs have been described in detail, itshould benoted that many other designs may be employed. The onlylimiting factors in the choice of designs are those which dictateidentical design variations along certain edges of the blocks asdiscussed above.

In using the set of blocks as a tool to create designs or as a game, theblocks may be arranged generally as shown in FIG. 1 with the cornerblocks 12 arranged along the diagonals of the over-all design, the sideblocks 13 arranged between the corner blocks and the center block 14 atthe center. The operator or player can create a vast number of differentover-all designs by selecting various faces of the blocks. The mostsymmetric designs are obtained when blocks equally distant from thecenter exhibit the same faces. Thus, in the design shown in FIG. 1 eachof the four corner blocks having a point contacting the center blockexhibits the same face. Similarly, each of the '4 edge blocks contactingthe center block exhibits the same face. It is not necessary, however,that equidistant faces be identical. Also, as noted above, the set maybe used without the center block.

What is claimed is:

1. A plurality of blocks, each having a plurality of square faces withdifferent designs on difierent faces thereof, wherein the designs oneach of the faces of a first group of said plurality of blocks aretwo-area-pattern designs with the two patterns meeting at the midpointsof at least two adjacent edges of each of the faces, and wherein thedesigns on each of the faces of a second group of said plurality ofblocks are two-area-pattern designs with the two patterns meeting at themidpoints of the opposite edges of each of the faces whereby a pluralityof designs can be created by arranging faces on blocks of the firstgroup along the diagonals of the design and arranging faces on blocks ofthe second group at the nondiagonal portions of the design.

2. A plurality of blocks as claimed in claim 1 and further including athird block with a plurality of square faces, each of the faces having adesign diflFerent from the design on the faces of blocks in said firstand second groups whereby said third block may form the center of thedesign.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 161,423 1/1951 Claflin 273l561,260,541 3/1918 Holland 273--l56 1,973,564 9/1934 Graham 273l56 LOUISG. MANCENE, Primary Examiner ROBERT F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 273--157

